The Final Act (A Phantom of the Opera Phan Fic)

Chapter Nine ~ In Which They Rashly Speak

Erik's POV

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I was sitting rather cozy in Master Alexander's office in L'Aria. Presently, Alex and I were enjoying a morning cup of tea while brooding over the floor plans for the new Opera House. Things seemed to be going smoothly, or as smoothly as they could when it comes to structuring an entire structure as large as we had in mind. It would be a quaint place; a place familiar more to me than any other, for I had intentions of making it similar in ways to my old home.

As we sat discussing this new venture, Charlotte came hurrying into the room looking most excited and nervous. "Alex! Oh darling, you will never guess who I just talked to!" She exclaimed rather breathless.

Master Alex turned in his chair to face her, letting his chine cup rest on the desk top. "Charlotte, you seem absolutely out of breath. For heaven's sake who could have made such a deep impression upon you?"

"Oh Alex, it was marvelous! Absolutely marvelous! Do you remember a Monsieur Cavey from the gazette?"

"Well, I suppose I recall him. Yes. What of it?"

"He told me that there will be a great fair coming to Valence soon, in about six months time. He said it was to be a great opportunity for influx and business. The people will want to be entertained, and if it is pleasing we could contact the directors of the event and set up scheduling with them perhaps. Perhaps even just promote ourselves while they are here yet, and get more views and more funding for the new Opera House! Think of it, Alex! Think of the people we could attract!" Charlotte was beaming now, her rosy cheeks such a soft, radiant pink. She was simply charmed and delighted by her work and investigation.

I glanced at Master Alex who seemed to be more disheartened as he frowned presently at this news. "Darling, I don't think this plan of yours is going to work out the way you have it in mind."

With that statement Charlotte's countenance fell suddenly. "Alex, you haven't even given the idea a chance. What do you mean by these things?"

"Charlotte, you are not using your head. If the people are coming from a fair they will partake in the fair, not some dull operetta performance. Come now, even if they did we do not even have a large enough cast to produce anything of considerable measure." Alex went on to explain himself, standing and walking over to Charlotte. He laid a gentle hand on her cheek. "Understand, darling, we have to get things in better shape, and six months time is not near enough to focus on a performance piece and a new Opera House."

With a bit of a huff, Charlotte drew away from Master Alex's hand and walked toward the desk. She sat down in his chair and ran her finger along the rim of his tea cup. "Such ridiculous statements you make, Alexander. One minute you want the world to be cooing over your operettas and the next you wish for no one to inhabit this place at all. It seems foolish to build a second Opera House if we cannot even fill the first one."

"There she has a point, Master Alex." I now chimed in.

They both gave me a sort of look, as if they had forgotten that I was in the room from the beginning of the conversation.

"You side with her then, Erik?" Master Alex questioned me, raising an eyebrow.

I scratched my jaw absently and nodded. "But of course I do. Business is business no matter how you get it. If we want to build a second Opera House we must have motive to do so. If we can't fill the first why bother with a second, as your wife has pointed out. I say we go for it, see what the fair brings us. We can only try, it is not like it will hurt us now. We have nothing to lose."

"Except further dignity." Alex muttered.

"To hell with dignity." Charlotte stated rather boldly.